#Things to do in Dorrigo

[sixshotsinatumbllr]

Miracle Logs

Resharing my first one-shot here as a text post because I enjoyed writing it so much. You can also find it on Ao3 here

We all know that fun trope in Aziracrow fics where Aziraphale and Crowley will miracle away clothing and after-sex mess, and miracle in lube. But surely that's all showing up on some kind of report somewhere.

Welcome to my very first ever fanfic, where Michael's ambitions to be the Duty Officer backfire spectacularly.

This one-shot is based on a post someone made on Tumblr a few months ago. I can't remember who made the original post, but seeing that I've pretty much claimed that idea and ran with it, so if anyone knows who made that post, let me know so I can credit the author. Thanks to @addledmongoose on Tumblr, who reminded me of that post and encouraged me to write this, and *exceptional* thanks and a big ol' gold star to @howmanyholesinswisscheese who was a fantastic beta- love your work. Fic under the cut.

‘Well, I am the Duty Officer, Uriel,’ the Archangel Michael says crisply, standing in front of the clear desk that had, up until very recently, been Gabriel’s. ‘The work must fall to someone in…these circumstances-’

‘And that person is you,’ Uriel says dryly.

‘And that person is me,’ Micheal replies smugly.

Uriel sighs, turns and walks off down the corridor without another word, disappearing into the luminosity of Heaven’s expanse.

Michael sits at the desk, with a wiggle so small it would be easy to miss it. She gestures gracefully with a well-manicured hand, and the image of a screen manifests itself in front of her. She smiles beatifically, leaning forward slightly, and starts to explore the additional windows and programs that Gabriel had on his screen.

‘Now, let’s see what we’ve got,’ she murmurs to herself as she starts to scroll and open unfamiliar programs.

There’s extra surveillance footage of the all the zones of Heaven itself, she notes with interest. Saraqael is talking to a low-order scrivener on one of the little boxes of closed-circuit footage. Michael flicks audio on; hears them talking about mundane paperwork. Nothing of interest, so she flicks the audio off again.

Swiping to the side, she catches the sight of Sandalphon staring out the windows to the simulation of the Pyramids of Giza. He vacantly brings a finger to his nose and picks around in it with a vigour that reminds Michael of his enthusiasm with smitings. Michael retches and clicks out of the screen. His non-corporeal body doesn’t even produce mucus…why would he do that?

She notes extra surveillance footage of Heaven itself. She zooms in on a screen, watches Saraqael talking to a low-order scrivener. She flips audio on and off- they are talking about mundane paperwork, nothing of interest there. She swipes to the side, sees Sandalphon standing out the windows, staring out to the simulation of the Pyramids of Giza. He vacantly brings a finger to his nose and starts picking it. Michael retches and clicks out of the screen. His non-corporeal body doesn’t even produce mucus. Why would he do that?

She opens the program labelled ‘Miracle Logs: Earth- Live’. A globe of the Earth opens, a simulation of the blue-green planet, so many of the Heavenly Host are prideful of, suspended and slowly turning on the screen. Almost immediately, there’s the sound of a single bell, a tinny ding, and flag appears over the landmass known as Australia. She clicks it, and it brings up to the screen:

= (Novalis) (Principality//Dorrigo, Australia, Earth) minor healing miracle: gifts focus to a neurodivergent human (0.02 Lazuri)=

This is interesting, Michael thinks. She touches the globe and yes, it is movable. She scrolls it around so that England comes into view, and zooms in on London. Her grin blooms wide across her face.. Here we go, she thinks. Documented proof of the shifty things the Principality Aziraphale gets up to- he’s long overdue for some radical discipline.

As is right on cue, a new notification flashes up onto the screen:

= Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth): minor miracle: thwarts human will (convinces human to not buy a book) (0.02 Lazuri)=

Michael raises an eyebrow. She makes a note to schedule a meeting with the Metatron. It really is time for Aziraphale to come back to Heaven. But first to find some more…damning evidence. She settles into her chair.

A few minutes pass, and a new notification pops up:

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth): Activation of exception to Demonic wards (continuous), the Demon Crowley, AZ Fell and Co, Independant Embassy of Heaven, Soho, London - 0.03 Lazuri)=

Well. As far as incriminating evidence goes, this notification is useful. She’s working out how to screenshot and save the notification when another two notifications pop up.

= Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London Earth): minor miracle: lock doors, lowers blinds (0.01 Lazuri)=

= Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth): minor miracle: bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape teleported from wine cellar to book shop (0.01 Lazuri)=

Michael rolls her eyes. Frivolous miracles, always a problem with Aziraphale. Wasting divine energy on his own selfish satisfactions. Gluttony. Drunkenness. Sin.

Michael sits restlessly at the screen for a few more minutes but nothing more happens. There are other duties she needs to attend to- she needs to catch up with Saraqael about a few things, and there’s that meeting with the Metatron to arrange. She wanders off, but leaves the notification alerts on.

She walks off, deals with a few things, and returns when she hears the sharp ding of the alerts start to go off more rapidly.

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth): Evidence of Demonic corporeal contact enacted upon an angelic being: Demon touches Aziraphale’s face.=

Michael huffs again. Well this really is-

Ding.

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth): Evidence of Demonic corporeal contact enacted upon an Angelic being: Demon kisses Aziraphale (lips)=

Ding.

Michael raises her eyebrows, feeling less sure about all of this Duty Officer nonsense now.

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth): Evidence of Demonic corporeal contact enacted upon an Angelic being: Demon kisses Aziraphale (neck)=

Michael feels a rising flush moving up her neck to her cheeks. She tries to work out how to click out of the program, but before she can, the next run of notifications begins.

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth): Evidence of Angelic corporeal contact enacted upon an Demonic being: Aziraphale removes demonic neck tie=

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth): minor miracle: jacket, vest and shirt removed from demonic corporeal body (0.03 Lazuri)=

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth) blasphemes=

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth): Evidence of Angelic corporeal contact enacted upon an Demonic being: Aziraphale touches Demonic chest=

Michael is… flummoxed.

She pages Uriel to the desk. It’s not long until the clicking of Uriel’s business heels on the hard white floors of Heaven is heard coming along the corridor.

Michael smiles sweetly at her as she approaches. ‘My Duty Officer shift is over,’ Michael says. ‘It’s your turn now.’

Surprised, and a little confused, Uriel nods. Michael stands and gestures to the chair, one eyebrow raised.

Uriel says nothing as she sits down at the desk, but from the tension around the side of her mouth, one could infer that she is feeling just a little bit proud. Like she’s proved something. She reaches out a hand, straightens the screen and with lift of her chin, turns her attention to the notifications streaming onto the soft, glowing screen.

And falters.

Michael is standing behind her. Michael had planned on walking away. On finding something far less taxing to do, something that might make her forget everything she’s seen today.

She can’t walk away.

Uriel watches with wide eyes as the next notification pops up: =Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth): Evidence of Angelic corporeal contact enacted upon an Demonic being: Aziraphale engages with Demonic nipples (two)=

Uriel gestures almost without thinking, and a miracle block is enacted upon Aziraphale.

‘Good work, Uriel,’ Micheal stammers. ‘Exactly what I was about to do.’

‘I…um… don’t suppose you did the training to enact a Miracle Blocker on demons when they held it last century, did you?’ Uriel asks.

‘Ah, no.’ Michael replies, and they both slump a little.

–

Aziraphale tries the gesture again, confusedly. Crowley remains just as clothed (half-clothed?) as he was. Tangled as he is under the weight of Crowley’s body on the Chesterfield sofa, drunk with lust and wine, he’s rather unable to think about why his miracles aren’t working. He tries again. Nothing.

‘My miracles aren’t working,’ he says to Crowley, a purr in the demon’s ear, as the demon kisses up his neck and along his jaw. ‘Would you- ah- mind?’

Crowley looks down at him with a mischievous, joyous glint in his eye. ‘Oh I don’t mind, Angel,’ he says. “I don’t mind at all…’

–

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth): Evidence of Demonic miracle enacted upon an Angelic being: tartan bow tie removed from angelic corporeal body (0.01 Lazuri)=

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth): Evidence of Demonic miracle enacted upon an Angelic being: shoes and socks removed from angelic corporeal body (0.01 Lazuri)=

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth): Evidence of Demonic miracle enacted upon an Angelic being: waistcoat removed from angelic corporeal body (0.01 Lazuri)=

Michael gulps. Uriel grabs Micheal’s arm with a surprisingly strong grip. Neither of them can look away.

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth): Evidence of Demonic miracle enacted upon an Angelic being: remaining clothing removed from angelic corporeal body (0.03 Lazuri)=

Uriel clears her throat. ‘I- I guess he got impatient?’ she murmurs weakly.

They look at each other. Then away. Then back at the computer. There’s no real way of knowing what the Traitor and the Demon are up to. A pause in the miracles logged means no documentation. But neither of them are stupid.

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth): Evidence of Demonic miracle enacted upon an Angelic being: lubrication manifested from the ether (0.04 Lazuri)=

‘What’s lubrication?’ Michael asks.

‘You don’t want to know,’ Uriel replies.

There is a long, heavy pause from the screen, and then all of a sudden, sharp ding of the alert starts going crazy.

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth) blasphemes=

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth) blasphemes=

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth) blasphemes=

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth) uses language not befit to an angel=

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth) blasphemes=

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth) uses language not befit to an angel=

=outbreak of unscheduled DIVINE ECSTASY (666 kilometre radius, centred in Soho, London, Earth)=

=outbreak of unscheduled DEMONIC RAPTURE (unknown radius, centred in Soho, London, Earth)=

Michael and Uriel stare at the screen, which has gone still. Finally. The absence of the searing ding of the notification alert is as keen and sharp as the alert itself. They don’t move, they don’t look at each other. They just… absorb what they have witnessed. They need a moment.

Another ding makes them both jump.

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth) uses language not befit to an angel=

=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth): Evidence of Demonic miracle enacted upon an Angelic being: corporeal bodily fluids (various, angelic and demonic) teleported to the ether (0.04 Lazuri)=

=Evidence of a demonic miracle enacted upon an angelic being Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth): corporeal bodily fluids (various, angelic and demonic) teleported to the ether (0.03 Lazuri)

‘How- how in Heaven did Gabriel deal with this?’ Michael spits, flustered. Uriel sits at the desk, her head in her hands.

Before the Memory wipe:

Gabriel sits at his desk. It’s been a boring day of banal bureaucracy, but now it’s his afternoon off. And there’s nothing he’d rather do than catch up on his favourite Miracle Logs.

The Miracle Logs are his favourite thing in Heaven, because these logs will eventually form documentary evidence of a successful relationship between an Angel and a Demon. A precedent.

Gabriel’s not stupid. He knows that there has been something going on for a long time between Aziraphale and Crowley. Possibly even before he himself started seeing Beezelbub in an extra-professional capacity.

He hadn’t paid much attention to Aziraphale for 6000 years, irritating Principality that he is. But now, he counts himself as Aziracrow Shipper number #1. Because if they can do it- go off together, be their own side- then perhaps it’s possible for Gabriel and Beezelbub too.

He zooms into AZ Fell and Co. Nothing much is happening. The last miracle (=Aziraphale (Principality//Soho, London, Earth: minor miracle: boil kettle- 0.015 Lazuri) blinks softly on the screen from an hour ago.

Gabriel miracles an anonymous angelic temptation (temptation to be in the same physical vicinity) over the London area, and narrows the scope to the Demon Crowley. And then he miracles an hamper of gourmet food and the finest of wine (he knows Aziraphale likes to sully his celestial body with gross matter, although Gabriel can’t see the appeal himself) to be anonymously delivered to the bookshop.

He sits back on his chair, and waits for the notifications to begin. It doesn’t take long.

Ding!

=Aziraphale (Principality, Soho, London, Earth): evidence of demonic proximity (AZ Fell and Co, Soho, London, Earth)=

=Aziraphale (Principality, Soho, London, Earth): Activation of exception to demonic wards (continuous), the Demon Crowley, AZ Fell and Co., Soho, London - 0.03 Lazuri)=

Bonus:

It’s been a shit day in Hell. They are all shit days, there’s been rather more than 6000 years of them. But things are looking up for Beelzebub, Grand Duke of Hell. Lounging at their desk, feet crossed and propped up on the table, Beelzebub lounges back in their throne with a box of popcorn in their lap.

They have their screen open to the Demonic Miracles Log: Earth- Live. The dings of the alerts- coming thick and fast- can only just be heard over the screams of the damned in the corridors of Hell.

‘Nice work, Crowley,’ they mutter with a leering grin. ‘At least one of us is getting some.’ Beezlebub throws a piece of popcorn into the air and catches it in their mouth.

[charlesandmartine]

Friday 17th February 2023

This and the previous property's water supply comes from the sky. Huge tanks in the garden harvest rainwater for drinking as well as all the other household requirements. These tanks here are running low, and if significant amounts of rain are not delivered soon, they will need topping up by truck at cost. This is not seen as being a popular pastime. Rains are forecast in 4 weeks time.

We had set targets for today that could be considered unrealistic. Our journey from Tuncurry to Yamba was to be something slightly less than 5 hour straight and 430kms up the fast A1 Pacific Highway, which is a long way for us in one day. Complicated of course because we wanted to stop on route to take a look at a couple of places. The first must see place had to be the lunch spot in Nambucca Heads, conveniently situated at the head of the Nambucca River but an absolutely delightful collection of sandbanks and natural harbour. Ham & egg sandwiches are an excellent match for the scenery on offer. What with the visit to the bakery added to the consumption time I think we are now talking overall 6 hours with less than halfway. Our next stop was to be Bellingen at the start of the Waterfall Drive. This unsurprisingly involved driving down a road surrounded by waterfalls and comes well recommended. Bellingen is a town that absolutely confirms everything we like about Australia! It is a comely mainstreet of old traditional shops with covered walkways, banks and cinema; balconies with delicate regency iron fretwork which adds a real charm to it. Apparently some town planners are keen to rip the lot down and replace it with modern stuff identical to everywhere else. Thankfully there is sufficient opposition to this viewpoint to hold this sacrilegious act at bay. But for how long we ask? The tourist information lady was very helpful when asked where best to sample the loveliest of her waterfalls and she immediately began scooping copious piles of leaflets, printouts, maps and instructions suitable for a fortnight stay. Another approach was proffered; if you could do just one of these places, which would it be? So that was how we ended up driving up the Dorrigo Mountain to see the Crystal Shower Falls Walk in the Dorrigo National Park Rainforest. This involved a 3km round trip along tall canopied forest paths winding steadily downwards passing palms and yellow cedars until we heard the sounds of running water. The Crystal Shower did not disappoint, especially the ability to clamber behind the falls to view the falling water from the other side. Fantastic and well worth the hike back up the winding forest path, although now making the overall journey time approach 8 hours.

Thus it was that we arrived in our superb Samsara Bush Retreat cabin just before dusk, tired and very hungry. We didn't fancy cooking at this point so we emptied the Nissan and set coordinates for what looked essentially the nearest thing to a fish and chips restaurant. This somewhat morphed into a hotel by the motorway bridge over the river. Dispell all cosy thoughts of country hotels straightaway. Think more in terms of cowboy town hotel, cattle rustlers and karaoke. Then combine this with trying to converse over a cacophony of country music (term loosely applied) with a Sheila, who's already had a tough day sheep wrestling, with an intention of ordering take away F&C. What did come across in clear dulcet tones was: 30 minutes, busy and that'll be 50 bucks! Waiting the required 'go out and catch fish, fillet and cook' time we investigated the possibility of a supply of SB. This was to romp in at 38 bucks a bottle! Well you have to crush the grapes, ferment etc, all costs I suppose. So we approached what must have been Sheila's sister behind the bar to enquire if she might possibly have a bottle of beer. What do want, what you got, no what do you want? This circular discussion continued a while until we suggested Four X. Then with a look, she disappeared out back somewhere (not the outback, although by the amount of time it took it could have been) she emerged with a cold one.

Our landlord suggested later this was the best place to go in this sugar mills district where clearly the entire town of millers come out on a Friday evening to let their hair down.

Hmm

[carasel]

TOP 10 CARAVAN PARKS IN NSW

TOW YOUR LOAD TO THESE GORGEOUS LOCATIONS

Scenic views and a caravan to enjoy them with – what more do you need?

There’s plenty of reasons to hitch your caravan to the back of your car and get out of Sydney – we’ve come up with ten really good ones. If you’re after a relaxing getaway or an adventure-packed weekend out of town, we’ve got the best of both, right here.

BIG4 Batemans Bay at Easts Riverside Holiday Park Batemans Bay – about 3 hours, 45 minutes drive from Sydney This resort-style caravan park offers the lot – luxury cabin accommodation, caravan and camping sites, with barbecue facilities, a swimming pool and more. The park is situated right on the Clyde River and overlooks the Batemans Bay town centre.

Mountain View Caravan and Mobile Home Village Shoalhaven Heads – about 2 hours drive from Sydney Located a short walk from Shoalhaven Heads Beach, the Mountain View caravan park is ideal for those who seek a little adventure – the area is perfect for surfing, windsurfing, fishing or kite flying. Or if you’re getting out of Sydney to do nothing at all, the views down Seven Mile Beach are endlessly captivating.

Lorikeet Tourist Park Coffs Harbour – about 6 hours drive from Sydney Located about 33 kilometres north of Coffs Harbour, Lorikeet Tourist Park is a gateway to all of the best things the North Coast has to offer: the amazing Dorrigo National Park, mountain biking, white water rafting, kayaking and sky diving.

Jacaranda Caravan Park North Haven – about 4 hours drive from Sydney Whether you’re after the rolling hills of the Camden Haven valley or the forested mountains of the hinterland, Jacaranda Caravan Park has everything you could ever need for a relaxing weekend away: spectacular birdwatching spots in the mountains, self-guided bushwalking tracks, fishing spots and relaxing kayaking tracks.

Kiama Harbour Cabins Kiama – About an hour and 45 minutes from Sydney Enjoy breathtaking views of the beautiful Kiama Harbour and Pacific Ocean from Kiama Harbour Cabins. Located a short distance from all the best that Kiama has to offer – the Kiama Blowhole, Jamberoo Action Park and Minnamurra Rainforest – the site has rooms to suit every budget.

Paradise Tourist Park Tamworth – about 5 hours drive from Sydney Situated on a one-and-a-half hectare lot on the banks of the Peel River, Paradise Tourist Park lives up to its name, providing a variety of accommodation styles for all budgets and a range of communal facilities, including barbecue facilities, a recreation room, a swimming pool and wifi access.

BIG4 South Durras Holiday Park South Durras – about 3 hours and 40 minutes drive from Sydney If you’re looking to get really close to nature, you can’t go past South Durras on the South Coast. A literal stones throw from the beach or leafy Murramarang National Park, it’s the ideal location for swimming, snorkelling, bushwalking, cycling and more.

First Sun Holiday Park Byron Bay – about 9 hours drive from Sydney Byron Bay is one of those gems of the East Coast that has everything you could possibly seek for a city escape – relaxed town centre, beautiful beach views (plus the famous Byron Lighthouse) and breathtaking waterfalls. First Sun claims that you’ll never need to take your car anywhere because everything is so close to the site, so drive in, park and then get out and explore!

Huskisson White Sands Tourist Park Huskisson – about 2 and a half hours drive from Sydney Located snugly in Jervis Bay, Huskisson White Sands is a short stroll from the town’s amenities and provides activities such as whale and dolphin cruises, kayaking, snorkelling and beach fishing.

Sapphire Beach Holiday Park Coffs Harbour – about 6 hours drive from Sydney Situated right on beautiful Sapphire Beach, this holiday park provides both powered and unpowered sites and has its own billabong that is home to many native birds. Enjoy the beachfront or head down to Dorrigo National Park – the options are many and varied.

Heading out towing your own caravan? Read this first: “How to Prep Before Towing a Caravan or Trailer These Summer Holidays”

Find the right towbar for your vehicle.

This blog was posted in Safety, TopTips, Towbars and tagged in Caravan, Hitch, your

[tseneipgam]

"...due to the awful algorithm. Instagram deletes a woman for nudity but encourages us to post thirst traps to be seen. I just can't be bothered with them, though. I see enough of myself reflected in. buildings as I walk through the city to a booking, or in the mirrors of a brothel room. I feel sickened by the over saturation of images, just as I am deadened by compliments after years of being showered in them by men I do not care for. My body has been a tool that I've wielded. but it's also something I just live in every day, that I'm comfortable with and no longer itch to record in order to assert my personhood on the world. I can't tell if that means I'm missing a curiosity I once had or it means I'm feeling satisfied in ways I wasn't before."

"'It's thriving, doll' said one of my gay guy friends about that break up vine that is climbing up the wall of my living room, leaping from mantelpiece to painting to picture rail, a literal metaphor of my progress post relationship, and that's what I how I want to see all my friends: thriving."

" The worse thing about rich clients is they're always surprised when you're smart, as if it's shocking to have an articulate person doing physical labour. My working-class clients usually treat me more like an equal and aren't shocked that I'm intelligent, whereas my rich clients always have this condescending attitude, like how lucky are you to be around me and exposed to culture by me. I guess if you're working class you know jobs aren't necessarily a summation of your abilities, you do what you need to do to get by, but if you're upper middle class or upper class you're more likely to think your job is a reflection of your innate capacity."

"I look across at one of my friends, who is wearing nothing but sneakers and a loin cloth, and I see an expression on his face that I can feel on mine, one beyond words, and I know everything has been worth it to make it to this moment, all paths led here and there is a greater purpose. I feel God in the room, just as I feel God as I gaze over the rolling hills of Dorrigo, and know God is between and with us sometimes when a partner and I make love. Forget the false idols; we should love ourselves and each other like this always, because we are made in God's image, in all our flaws and follies, only human - and, yet, isn't it incredible to have this chance at life?"

"I'm an easy lay, unhindered by virtue, supposedly carrying a high body count as if it's a disease or baggage, when in reality the soul is self-replenishing and limitless, not a finite source that is whittled down to nothing with each conquest and paid request, I'm not the wilted rose society thinks I am, petals picked by all and sundry, I'm louche but not loose, my pussy like any muscle becomes stronger with each use"

"Are we simply poor replacements to each other, creatures driven by the need for connection and hampered by borders and class? What would this world be without borders, without nation states? How could we move among each other, and how could the hoarded wealth of prosperous nations be shared? Trafficking only exists because borders exist, and exploitation only exists because of wealth inequality. How did I come to be lying on this bed? How did other women come to lie on other such beds? It's nearly always a tale of migration or economic need. Need that led to this symbiotic relationship I feel with him, and the parasitic relationship I feel with my wealthy clients, whereby I am leaching from them just as they leach the labor of the working class; we're both leeches in that equation and I burst with blood like a pomegranate, staining their hotel bed sheets. What does it mean, that I do sex work because I am working class but am no longer working class through doing sex work? On this bed now, with a migrant man who stacks shelves, who sells the use of his body just as I sell the use of mine, where I am the product and he could physically overpower me if he wished, who has the power? Is that what this is even is about, an exchange of power? That's what people always debate about, who is exploiting whom; the woman either can't consent or she's manipulating the desires of the man. Is everything in life a power exchange, though? I don't think I could reduce this moment to such a simplistic take on it, and besides, I feel equal to him; whatever is between us is malleable, and flows"

"Moving on from an Internet fling is more difficult than I realised. With in-person things you can avoid the physical spaces that remind you of them, like the bar where you met or the café you used to go to together. When it's online, though, it's like they only existed in your mind - and how the hell do you get them out of there? Why did no one warn me? People always demean online relationships as less legitimate, phone sex as not counting, the emotions only a mockery of the real; when your mind is what you live in, though, surely bringing someone to live in there with you can mess you up as much as living with someone in the literal sense?"

[absinthe-and-alabaster]

NOOOOO WTF WORST NEWS THIS NEEDS TO BE A FLOP

Are they gonna do the shitty sex scene and the ear kink and all the cheating. HOW WILL ANYONE FIND THID APPEALING they shouldn't. they shouldn't.

also i looked up that jacob guy and??? does he look like dorrigo evans to you? he's in euphoria??? and the fucking kissing booth?

but like i can see one of two thing happening either it will be a flop and nobody will speak of the show ever again or it will be changed into some netflix romance show version of the original and people will be like where can i find my dorrigo 🥺🥺🥺. the way he had sex with amy when that dog was watching was so romantic 🥺 why can't i have a nephew like that 🥺

and they turn his actual wife into like, a villain (instead of just a nothing of a character) and like really focus on the chapped lips part of the novel

do you think they'll have the parts where people drown in their own shit y/n

what about that pow rooster who was like reading mein kampf do you think they will keep him in. and dorrigo can like. heroically punch him or something. or like teach him the value of mateship (is that something that netflix audiences care about)???

i'm both afraid of this accurately portraying the novel (because ew) and inaccurately portraying it (which it must do to be at all appealing to any audience besides tony abbott, and thence potentially becoming popular).

imagine a world where instead of people saying "oh you're from australia, just like that mermaid show h2o" (<- multiple people have said that to me) they say "oh you're from tasmania just like my favorite netflix bad boy dorrigo evans"

if you knew me you would understand that this is tantamount to a death sentence. they want me dead. they mean to kill me.

[northcoastnsw4]

North Coast NSW Attractions

North Coast NSW attractions are generally known for variety. While other regions mostly offer sprawling beaches and similar attractions, the North Coast offers a little bit of everything. From rainforests, beaches, markets, and art galleries, the North Coast NSW attractions can appeal to any taste. NSW North Coast Travel Guide

For families, the best North Coast NSW attractions start with the Pet Porpoise Pool, a much-celebrated tourist attraction in the North Coast. Kids will surely enjoy the highly entertaining and interactive dolphin and seal shows there. And if your kids want to just have fun the good old way that they know, you can take them to Jumbos Playland over at Port Macquarie. Jumbos Playland is a special activity centre for kids with a cafe where you can stay while your kids enjoy themselves. With colourful slides and several other treats, the playland is definitely a child's haven. And if they have to have fun in the water, take them to Big Buzz Fun Park. The amusement park is a mixed offer; there are several water-based facilities such as pools with slides, but there are also a lot of activities there for the whole family. North Coast NSW Travel Guide

Artists and those with eye for history and creativity will definitely enjoy hopping from one art gallery to another. The first on the list is the Pinnata Gallery, which displays high-quality and genuine artworks ranging from contemporary to traditional. The gallery is located in Dorrigo near Coffs Coast. True-blue artists will also love the Art Escape. The exhibit focuses on ten different artists with highly distinct styles. The Art Escape can be found in the Port Macquarie and Hastings area in the North Coast. Places to Visit in North Coast NSW

History discoverers will surely learn a lot about the North Coast history by visiting the historical sites and attractions scattered all over the city. There's Lake Inner Ruins, the former home of Major Archibald Clunes Innes, a major entrepreneur who lived in the North Coast. The ruins now make up a classic and historical tourist attraction that lures in and strikes visitors with awe with its grandeur. Aside from that, there's Fighter World, a gallery that focuses on fighter jets. Fighter World is one of the world's earliest fighter displays. To further evoke nostalgia, go see the Tacking Point Lighthouse in Port Macquarie after seeing the fighter jets. The Tacking Point lighthouse was constructed back in 1879 and was one of five navigational lighthouses built during that time. Since it was built, the lighthouse has absorbed much of the North Coast's history and is a must-see for tourists. Things to Do in North Coast NSW

These are not even half of what you will see in the North Coast. North Coast NSW attractions come in great numbers that you won't run out of things to see while you're there.

[dillydedalus]

november reading

how is it november. anyway i mainly descended into asoiaf hell again but there’s some other stuff!

hugo long list anthology vol. 3, lots of people anthology of the hugo long list for sff short stories - like most anthologies, it’s a mixed bag; i skipped a few stories, found a lot fine, liked quite a few (especially those by ursula vernon, sarah pinsker, p. djeli clark & theodora goss). this tends more towards scifi than fantasy, but i generally preferred the more fantasy-ish ones. 2.5/5

heimat: a german family album, nora krug collage-style graphic memoir about krug’s relationship to german identity after moving to the us and marrying a jewish man, focusing on her research into her family history and her grandparents’ actions during the holocaust, collecting images, documents, letters, statements from other family members, etc etc. the collage style is impressively well-done & her use of documents is especially excellent. 4/5

die untalentierte lügnerin, eva schmidt a german book prize nominee about a young woman in austria going thru a personal & familial crisis after dropping out of acting school. it’s intentionally really detached & isolating (e.g. there is absolutely no direct speech/thought in the entire book) but (unintentionally?) also quite boring. the creepy supportive-but-boundary-breaking stepfather is well done. 2/5

a game of thrones, george r. r. martin (#1 asoiaf) y’all.... i missed this series. i know i’m always lowkey obsessed, but reading the books really is a whole ‘nother thing and there are beats that get me in the heart every time (& every time there are beats that feel completely new) & every time i read agot i suddenly and painfully remember how much i love ned & how good he is & how sad. gods. also i want to take everyone who thinks asoiaf is all about being grimdark & edgy & cynical & ‘honourable = dumb’ and shake them like that’s not what they’re saying! littlefinger thinks like that, cersei, tywin and varys. we’re not meant to side with them! we’re meant to side with ned, who is honourable & chooses ‘the madness of mercy’, even if it kills him, which it does. 4.5/5

cosmicomics, italo calvino (tr. from italian by william weaver) honestly this is so hard to describe but it’s basically short stories about the genesis of the universe, the development of earth & life on earth, told from the perspective of a kind of eternal being (called qwfwq i think) who has been around with some other eternal beings with similarly weird names since before there was space, or time, or anything, but these eternal beings also behave & think pretty much like normal humans if they existed on eternal time-scale. it’s really weird & really fun, altho after the 12 stories i was kinda done. also like the gender politics in this are super eyeroll-y so be aware of that i guess. 3/5

a clash of kings, george r. r. martin (#2 asoiaf) i recently saw a poll on r/asoiaf or something about everyone’s fav book in the series & acok came in last, which i kind of understand - between agot & the absolutely epic and intense asos, it kind of looks like just a transitional book, & while both affc & adwd are kind of polarising, they both have really passionate fans BUT i think acok might actually be my personal favourite in the series. almost all the character’s arcs in this are amazing (arya in harrenhal! sansa figuring out how to cope in KL! theon’s whole mess! tyrion as hand! bran’s last chapter making me cry every single time!) and it has the amazing battle of blackwater bay. so anyway: 5/5

the narrow road to the deep north, richard flanagan (uni) UGH. this is a booker winning (for some reason) novel about australian POWs on the death rail, which is not entirely uninteresting & not something i’ve read anything about before but a) the writing is bad, b) flanagan tries really hard to be incredibly profound & it’s not working, c) half the story isn’t even about the POW camp but about our noble self-sacrificial hero dorrigo ‘manly resolve’ evans, who is a serial cheater & in his feelings about his ~true love for his uncle’s wife which like... who cares!!! in retrospect our discussion in class brought out some interesting aspects about the book & especially what we are meant to think about dorrigo evans but i still dislike it. 1.5/5

bad blood: secrets and lies in a silicon valley startup, john carreyrou the absolutely wild story of startup/total scam theranos by the investigative journalist who originally exposed their total scamminess. it’s sad that there’s so little insight into elizabeth holmes (steve jobs reborn/scammer in chief) and her motivation but oh well. my fav scene was elizabeth holmes giving every employee a copy of a coelho book & telling them she was starting a religion. 3/5

emma, jane austen another austen that is both incredibly delightful and incredibly frustrating in a lot of ways, which i think is partially intentional (although the intense classism never really gets challenged, just emma’s flawed way of enacting classism) - emma herself is often frustrating, misguided, arrogant, but her situation is so dismal and stifling, so many people around her so dull and wearying and demanding, that i couldn’t help but feel for her. sure, the romance is a bit #problematique, and the classism is a lot, but i think the heart of this is emma trying to find a way to exist in highbury, recognise that a) jane fairfax is great but b) she doesn’t have to be like jane fairfax, and that a) yes, she is responsible for her father but b) her father doesn’t have to be her whole life, and that she probably should just let poor harriet smith do what she gonna do. 4/5

the need, helen phillips i think what this book (and fever dream) really confirmed for me is that if i ever have kids, my ocd will go into infernal nightmare mode. anyway. this is a pretty good, pretty scary thriller about molly, working at an excavation site that seems to hold a lot of fossils and artefacts that are just a lil wrong, while also being stressed as hell about her two young children. the book opens with a truly terrifying sequence, switching from molly at her job to molly putting the kids to bed and hearing something that sounds a lot like an intruder (but she’s probably just paranoid right???). the rest of the book doesn’t quite live up to that, but it’s still pretty cool. 3/5

a storm of swords (asoiaf #3), grrm this book is just one thing after the other, in a really good way, in that every time something big & huge happens you read the next chapter or two and something else big & huge happens. read for handless & noseless the lannister boys, not one or two but three contenders for top post on r/weddingshaming, the infamous arya burrito, jon snow inventing cunnilingus in a cave, vengeance zombies, the most emosh snowcastle ever, and just. feelings everywhere. 5/5 thank you for my life grrm

exquisite cadavers, meena kandasamy kandasamy’s last novel (when i hit you) is a kinda autofiction-y novel, closely based on her own abusive marriage but also a novel & the fact that much of the reception has focused on her own traumatic experiences rather than as her novel as a work of literature frustrated kandasamy, as she says in the author’s note here, so she decided to write a story and include her commentary on how it relates (& doesn’t) to her own life in the margin. but rather than straightforward explanation, the margin notes, told by meena (herself? the author-persona? something else?) become their own story, often going on tangents only tenuously connected with the ‘main’ story. i love this conceit & i think in parts of this book it works really really well & it’s interesting how each part informs your reading of the other & how to read the margins as someone whose academic training & inclination tend toward death of the author (one of the characters dislikes barthes lol). sadly i don’t think there’s not enough meat to the story-part to make it more than an interesting experiment. 3.5/5

currently read a feast for crows (of course) and a brief history of seven killings which is... a bit of a slog to be honest sorry :(

[timtamtalestakestwo]

Easter adventures: Part 1

Our blog posts are like buses - none for ages and then two will come together! It’s been an adventure filled few weeks so apologies for the delay!

Since our last update I have finished my 6 months of oncology. It was a bittersweet departure – it was the longest I’ve ever worked on one job so had developed some lovely relationships and was sad to leave such a great team of skilled and fantastic humans. It was an emotionally challenging job at times and I think we all really helped each other through that. However, it was time for pastures new and other challenges! Before that though, Tom and I both had some time off to enjoy!

For Easter Sunday, we had planned a roast lunch together at home between my cathedral commitments but in a last minute change of events (last minute being at 11.30 after the morning service) with the rest of the my choir friends in a dilemma of where to go out for lunch, I ended up (after a quick call home to Tom) inviting them all over for lunch at ours! We all went via the glorious Harris Farm market en route and each picked up some hot roast chickens, salads, drinks and cheese and it ended up being the easiest Easter lunch ever and was very lovely to spend time with them all!

First thing on the Monday, we packed up the car and headed north up to Coffs Harbour; a fairly long drive made pain-free with lots of podcasts and digestive biscuits! When we arrived we did a lovely walk out to Muttonbird Island and saw some of the last remaining very fluffy Wedge-tailed Shearwater chicks which the island is known for. There was an organisation there who had put up posters about what to do if you found a chick in the city – sadly the chicks would mistake the city lights for the moon and fly in the wrong direction when they were ready to leave, so there were volunteers who collected the lost and returned them back to the island in the evening for another go!

Day 2:

Breakfast on the beach in Coffs followed by quick detour to see the famous ‘Big Banana’! We had decided to drive inland a little along the Waterfall Way to Dorrigo National Park – a very lush rainforest in the clouds and much colder than Coffs. As we walked out to a lookout point we saw a python in the tree right next to the walkway; our first snake encounter since arriving and thankfully an uneventful one! We did a beautiful walk through really lush rainforest, with eerie mist between the trees! The walk was steep downhill to a waterfall – now unfortunately we have been spoiled by the enormous grandiose waterfalls of Iceland and so on arrival Tom was fairly underwhelmed to have walked all this way (with a steep uphill climb back imminent) for a fairly small waterfall! Still, it was a beautiful walk and certainly the most ‘rainforest-y rainforest’ we’ve seen since arriving here! Was then a short drive down to South West Rocks for night number 2!

Day 3: An early start to go diving at Fish Rock Cave! It was to be a 40 minute boat ride out, and two dives with an hour on the boat in between. Since our recent boat dives have ended up with both of us bringing up our breakfast, we had come armed with sea sickness tablets but thankfully the wind and swell were much more manageable than previously! We’d also heard news that divers had seen a whale shark there 2 days prior so we were eager to get in the water!

(At this point I probably advise both our mothers to close their eyes and scroll down a bit to Day 4).

The first dive was amongst 7 or 8 grey nurse sharks, about 30 wobbygongs and lots of fish. I wasn’t sure what my reaction would be to the sharks but it was absolutely mesmerizing to look down and watch them swimming up and down between the rocks so gracefully! We even saw a guitar shark up close which the dive club not seen for a while. Managed to find myself a lost shark tooth on the bottom to keep as a memo!

Our GoPro decided not to work on the first dive so this is obviously not my photo but we were on top of the rock crevice seen here, looking down on a scene not dissimilar!

The surface interval was spent refuelling with a cup of tea and some biscuits. Tom had a few issues with getting the dive centre to give him the weight he needed which led to a bit of an uncomfortable and floaty first dive so we tried to add a bit more for dive 2. This one was Fish Rock Cave, which is Australia’s only true ocean cave and was about 125 metres long. It was pitch black in there so torches definitely needed and for about half the length was space for single-file only, including a vertical ‘chimney’ to swim up! We saw a snoozing turtle, lots wobbygongs, crayfish, eels and again a whole host of different fish! One of my favourite parts was when the cave started to open out and there was just this bright blue glow ahead filled with the profiles of the marine life swimming around! We were very lucky with the conditions that day and the visibility was about 15 metres, which made the dives even more fantastic! Tom has put together some footage from the second dive in the video below to give you an idea!

Once we’d changed, fed and watered ourselves, we made a quick trip to Trial Gaol, one of the prisons used for deported convicts in the 1800s - a fairly thought provoking visit made slightly more light-hearted by lots of kangaroos hopping around the place!

We then drove down to Port Macquarie for the last part of our short trip! We were staying just outside of Port in a slightly more rural place called Sancrox. The night sky was unbelievably clear so it was an excuse to attempt some long exposure shots of the stars which I don’t think came out too badly!

Day 4: ANZAC day. We didn’t quite make it to the 5am dawn service after post-dive exhaustion but we made our way into town for the 10am procession and service in the town square by the cenotaph. The procession involved cadets, marching bands, veterans but also schools, scouts and girl guides. We had a good position right next to the memorial and it was an expectedly moving ceremony with a playing of The Last Post and a young boy singing the New Zealand and Australian National Anthems.

We did a couple of short walks along the coastline before starting the drive back to Newcastle in time for me to get things washed and packed before heading off on my solo adventure the next day! More of that to come...!

[viandnyl]

#003-Phebe Starr

Phebe Starr Singer/Song writer

Based in DORRIGO, AUSTRALIA

Genre:Alternative pop

Instagram:@phebestarr​

Q:How did you first start doing music? (For example: what made you fall in love with music, how did you start working with music)

I grew up in the middle of nowhere in Australia. As a kid, we didn't have the internet, and there were no shops around for miles, so we grew our own food, and my clothes were all hand-me-downs from the local charity stores. It was just my family and me on a farm with some animals, so I had to rely on my imagination for excitement. Along with spending my days exploring the forest and cooking cakes, I began writing and creating music as a creative outlet. I started taping myself on old cassette tapes singing and playing along to classical music. I became fascinated with cutting the recordings up and seeing what they sounded like when rearranged. After that, I bought an old Casio keyboard from the junkyard and taught myself to play by ear by listening to pop songs on the radio. The piano cemented my love for music, and soon I was writing lyrics and producing my own tracks. After school, I moved to Sydney, Australia and started putting my music online.

Q:Which of your songs do you recommend the most? (a song that represents you as an artist) and please explain the reason why you chose it. 'Air' I loved writing this song. I love the feeling of the track and the way we produced the vocals. I tend to focus on the feeling of music rather than the words or meaning. Music has a way of communicating more than we can explain. I use a lot of improvisation when writing, and this song was written and produced in a couple of hours with my friend Alister Wright. To me, it is a song that represents freedom from pain and heartache. It is the feeling of a hug from a good friend.

Q:Please tell us about your latest single (or album).

My debut album 'Heavy Metal Flower Petal' will be released early next year, and I'm immensely proud of it. I wrote and produced it with many talented friends and musicians from around the world. 'Heavy Metal Flower Petal' is a collection of songs I wrote with the desire to become soft and vulnerable again after I felt my heart hardening as a reaction to life events. After an unfortunate breakup, these songs made my heart feel squishy and alive again.

Q:What kind of music are you creating right now? (For example; a current source of inspiration, a certain sound you are into, or some other specific example)

I'm always inspired by aesthetics first. I see colours and pictures in my mind, and then I try to write their feelings into the music. I am inspired by softness, femininity and Monet paintings; lots of flowers and nature. I want to write music that you can listen to in your house with a cup of tea while the warm sunshine streams in through a window, filtered by speckles of dust. Home is my favourite place, and if you feel safe, you can escape to anywhere through the window in your mind. This music was me running to that place in my mind. I also listen to so much music and draw inspiration from a lot of older theatrical music. Lately, I've been listening to Les Baxter and old Hollywood movie soundtracks. I love vintage things and have a nostalgic love of the past. I have also listened to lots of disco and Prince lately, but hardly any modern music.

Q:What is important to you when making music?

The feeling. There is something about making music you can't explain, and I want to give that feeling to others.

Q:Tell us about your next music release or other upcoming activities you have planned.

I'll be dropping another single very soon, and then the whole album in March 2022, and I'll be playing shows in Australia and the US around that time. Covid messed with many musicians plans, and I cannot wait to tour again! I planned to come to Japan in 2020, so hopefully, I can make it there soon!

Q:What is the story behind your artist name?

Phebe Starr is my real name. The name my parents gave me.

Q:What is music to you?

A doorway into another world.

Q:Any music or other art that has had an influence on you.

Musicians such as Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Bee Gees, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Les Baxter, and Sufjan Stevens have considerably influenced the way I make music. The way they capture emotions with their lyrics is inspiring. Many things influence me, not just in music. I read brain pickings most days as I'm fascinated by philosophy and books. I love old and vintage things -they often have the best stories to tell- from clothing to film, architecture, furniture and lighting; I'm currently obsessed with art deco lamps. I guess I love beautiful, creative things that let romance come to life.

Q:Who is a person who has influenced you?

Dolly Parton and Elizabeth Taylor. These two women blazed their own paths in life and didn't let other people define them

Q:What was the first song/album (and from which artist) you bought, and why did you buy it?

Bjork- Greatest Hits. Bjork was so different from anything in the charts, and she captured my imagination. She still does.

Q:Do you have another job besides working with music?

Lately, I have been restoring and modifying vintage lamps and selling them, which I've loved doing. ( I've attached an image of one I made from an old light and some glass I found in a vintage store)

Q:What do you think you would be doing if you didn't work with music?

I would have loved to be a clothing tailor. I love working with my hands.

Q:In what kind of environment and with what equipment do you make your music? (For example a guitar in a park, in a studio using an AKAI MPC2000 etc)

I'm a massive fan of the Mellotron! They are beautiful vintage instruments, and they make such unique sounds. I also love my classical Japanese Nylon string guitar. Since I was a teenager, I've been playing it, and it's warm and homely. I mainly record in studios, but I collaborate a lot with friends, so I send my music to them all over the world until it feels ready to come out.

Q:What is something that makes you feel glad that you are working with music?

I love it when I get a message from a fan saying that my music means something important to them; it brought them some healing. That is the best thing in the world.

Q:Any artists that have caught your interest recently, or any artist in particular you are feeling respect for at the moment?

So many. I've been listening to a lot to Remi Wolf. I think she's incredible.

Q:How were you as a child?

I'm the youngest of 4, so I constantly vied for attention and felt misunderstood. I would chuck huge tantrums and run off into the forest or my room and hide and make music. I always liked to be alone to some degree. My family played lots of sports, and I loved that too. We were very active and competitive. Loud, full of life.

Q:What is something about you that hasn't changed since you were a kid?

I like to people watch. I sit and stare at the world going by for hours! People are fascinating to me.

Q:If you could give any advice to your younger self, what would that be?

Have more fun!

Q:What are your hobbies?

I love everything vintage: furniture, lamps, clothing, music, books. So you'll often find me trawling through charity stores and yard sales, asking as much as I can about the history of an item.


 Q:What is a word you like?

Eudaimonia

Q:Something you have been really into recently? (For example: a game, a type of food or dessert, a show on Netflix. Please share a specific example)

I've been eating lots of figs lately... I'm very obsessed with them. And also The Morning Show on Apple TV. The writing on that show is phenomenal.

Q:Do you think that you have changed in some way recently? And if so, how?

Change is the only constant; I'm constantly changing. This week I've started to wear oversized suit jackets, so that's new for now.

Q:What is the best news you've had recently?

I can travel back to the US to see my friends.

Q:What is something you bought recently that you really like?

A fruit bowl from a second-hand store!

Q:What is something that has caught your interest recently, and why? (For example: NFTs, an election, Climate change, or some other general topic that you have been interested in recently)

I recently saw that when guide dogs are in training, the trainers will take them to the cinema as a group and teach them how to sit and behave through the whole movie. It makes me happy to think that at any given time, somewhere in the world, there is an entire theatre full of dogs watching a movie.

Q:What do you think is important when it comes to communication?

Patience, perseverance and laughter.

Q:Any social issues you have been paying extra attention to lately?

I read many different issues, but I'm constantly learning, and I'm no expert. Still, the areas I tend to care about are agriculture and how we can farm in ways that sustain a healthy ecosystem and give us lovely natural food. I grew up on a farm and learnt about soil, the ecosystem, and how we are all intertwined. I would like to see more local farmers succeed and more work to protect the earth.

Also, I'm not too fond of the speed at which technology is advancing, which isn't good for the human brain. I love innovation and technology, but I think there is a massive problem with how the metaverse affects our genuine relationships and connections with each other. Heck, even art making is now more about quantity than quality, which is troubling to me.

Q:Tell us something good about your country.

Australia has beautiful plants and animals. Such beautiful oceans and clean air. I'm very proud of its beauty and rawness.

Q:What do you do to relieve frustration or stress?

I like to run and swim, and I try and remember that nothing is guaranteed and everything is a gift.

Q:What is a fashion brand do you currently like?

The Row

Q:What is your dream?

To live with peace and make amazing things that gives the world beauty and joy.

Photo credit: Robert Agostino

*This interview was conducted on VI/NYL #003, which published on Dec.30th, 2021.

*All photos are courtesy of the artists.

■VI/NYL

Instagram

Twitter

Linktree

[iblamebioware]

ALL THE QUESTIONS (hey if you're gonna be me i also get to be me)

1. favourite place in your country? That I've been to? Dorrigo. It's so nice and quiet and green and foresty. But also - The theatres in Sydney and Melbourne. I like my musicals2. Do you prefer spending your holidays in your country or travel abroad? It depends! Overseas is really fun, but usually a lot more rushed. 3. does your country have access to sea? ON EVERY SIDE4. Favourite dish specific to your country? Well. Uh. Um. Fairy bread I am a chILD AT HEART OKAY.5. Favourite song in your native language? (I'm gonna do classic aussie songs for this) Beds are Burning - Midnight Oil6. Most hated song in your native language? Honestly that John Farnham song Sadie the Cleaning Lady. Apparently it's a staple but it's horRID.7. three words from [australian slang] that you like the most? Woop woop, Spinebash, and to 'cark' it (It's believed to be derived from crow sounds ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)8. Do you get confused with other nationalities? If so, which ones and by whom? Americans think I'm british. Or Canadian or Kiwi. 9. Which of your neighbouring countries would you like to visit/know best? Well I guess technically New Zealand is our only proper neighbour? Which I have visited so10. Most enjoyable swear word in [aussie slang]? None of them are really swearing but I always liked 'whacker'11. Favourite Native writer/poet? Matthew Reilly12. n/a13. does your country (or family) have specific superstitions or traditions that might seems strange to outsiders? WELL. Let's start with the 'Why was he born so beautiful why was he born at all?' birthday song. And everyone watching the sydney fireworks. /Everyone/.14. Do you enjoy your country's cinema and/or TV? for the most part 15. a saying, joke, or hermetic meme that only people from your country will get? 'Lemme stop at the servos bottle-o to grab some duzzas and grog for the sheila and then I'll hoon it back over there for the bash.'16. which stereotype about your country you hate the most and which one you somewhat agree with? Everyone thinks we talk like Steve Irwin. NO. NO WE DON'T. And we are as a whole pretty chill people.17. are you interested in your country's history? Yep!18. Do you speak with a dialect of your native language? I speak with a horrible amalgamation of NSW, VIC, and TAS slang.19. Do you like your countries flag and/or emblem? What about the national anthem? I dislike all of them.20. which sport is the sport in your county? Cricket! We're good at beating the british.21. if you could send two things from your country into space, what would they be? Two of the most obnoxious australia day merch items I could find. So there's less of them on earth for me to see.22. What makes you proud about your country? what makes you ashamed? We have decent healthcare and welfare services. But our politics is still shit.23. Which alcoholic beverage is the favoured one in your country? I'm told either VB or XXXX24. What other nation is joked about most often in your country? Either America or New Zealand.25. Would you like to come from another place, be born in another country? Not really.26. does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American Media? what do you think about the portrayal? We do, but apparently we're only capable of being comedic characters, while FNP from Australia often have inherently racist portrayals27. favourite national celebrity? ... Ruby Rose.28. Does your country have lots of lakes, mountains, rivers? Do you have favourites? There are maNY AND I LIKE THEM ALL.29. does your region/city have a beef with another place in your country? Not that I know of...30. Do you have people of different nationalities in your family? My brother is half egyptian? If that counts?

[itsmikaylajade]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mikayla Jade (@itsmikaylajade)

It all comes back to one thing. You should be doing what makes you happy ✨ • • • Not the best quality footage but here’s a few snippets from my final trick riding performance of the year at Dorrigo Show last night!

[ladyinreadx-blog]

Act 1.

to the one that holds her heart .

Ease,

wouldn't it be great if things were easy ?

if that word was not a fantasy but a reality.

would it not be better my love ?

or would it become of a series of predictable events.

boring even ?

simplicity,

I often picture us as simple.

how would it be?

would it make us stronger?

or would I still be a puddle of unslept tears.

do you have an answer ?

i sometimes go as far to picture a future in this rose coloured haze ,

a future where we be happy

, worry free .

can this not be true?

truthfullness

, why my darling?

why not slap me with the truth rather then kiss me with lies.?

why the feelings of betrayal ,

hurt ...

hurtful,

the actions of those we love the most.

I am hurt.

can you feel it ?

feel,

I am air

here

but not thought of

present

but not acknowledged.

I am tired

sleepless,

try as I may sleep is no ali to me tonight,

to many unanswered questions

to many thoughts that will not allow such a privliage ,

my head ,

like a over boiled pot of water these thoughts will not stop bubbling at the surface,

rest will not be a visitor of mine ,

how are you ?

do you also get these thoughts ?

do you ?

do you know what it's like to feel walls that have protected you crumbling around,

not like a cookie but like the dorrigo falls pounding ,crashing yet beautiful.

a beauty that is struggling under the weight of it all

will you help remove the last pieces ?

Can you see it?

Can you see behind the mask ?

she takes it off for you .

but do you see her?

is it light enough yet?

Candles,

a perfect meeting

a path lit with no known outcome

an unlikely duo of strangest in the dark

the start of a flame

is it still burning for you ?

Yourself,

do you help? or do you continue to fill the bath that drowns her.

if you can see it,

would you turn it off?

Water,

we are the river flowing with ripples of love for another,

still moving through every fall

do we have an ending ?

or do we continue to a never ending ocean of blue.

Blue,

the colour of eyes.

are they watching?

do they see the sacrafices she will do for you ?

the adoration she has for you ?

Adore.

behind your own mask a heart of gold , maturing and ageing every day

one that rights each wrong

growing.

.Age .

may this be a hurdle in our journey.

may we grow with hair of grey wisdom and wrinkles of memories and laughter,

to death do apart .

[andrew-star-life]

Focus on one thing that you love doing most. #lizardpose #quoteofday #lovewhatyoudo #ventureout #canonaustralia #life #wonderlust #inspire #photo #capturelife #followme #liveauthenic #new #inspire #adventure #see #learn #discover #Australia #australianlife #travelaustralia #travelislife #australialovesyou #commentbelow #getoutthere (at Dorrigo National Park)

[atravellersfootsteps]

The Best of Dorrigo National Park

The Best of Dorrigo National Park

I am lucky enough to have grown up on the mid north coast of NSW, Australia, where we have access to countless beautiful spots to visit. Dorrigo National Park is just one of those beautiful destinations I get to explore in my spare time. Having spent a lot of time exploring Dorrigo, I have put together a brief list of the best things to do in Dorrigo National Park. Dorrigo National Park is a…

[allaboutourtraveling-blog]

From Sydney to Brissi- I need a travel break

After a week in Sydney in the cheapest hostel I could get and a few nights partying with my roommates. I made my way up North with the hop on hop off bus (which wasn’t the best idea but more about it later). My first destination- Newcastle. I stayed 2 nights there and I probably could have stayed longer. I had a hostel in the east of the city next to the coast. Not that big but a lot to see anyway. It’s a harbour city and the receptionist of my hostel told me that it even has the biggest harbour of hole Australia. But the city doesn’t just impress with the port. They have nice beaches and a half island called Nobbys which are beautiful. You can have a nice view over it from a fort (Fort Scratchley) which is next to the beach. If you want to relax or just do some lengths you can go to the Ocean Baths and if you’re keen to do a bit of walking you should do the Memorial Walk along the coast. It is really cool and I would recommend doing it at midday/ afternoon. So, you can extend the walk to the Obelisk which is the highest point in the city and not too far away. It’s definitely worth to watch the sunset from there. I did watch it even twice though. On my first day, I did all the stuff around and on the second one I went to a kind of wild life park for free with two girls out of my room. The highlight was the koala feeding. They’re so cute.

From there I went on to Coffs Harbour. A nice city and I had a decent hostel (Aussietel), again for two nights. I spend my first day with having a look around the beaches with the jetty and the half island called Motton Bird Island. You have a nice look over the city and along the beaches from there and especially the sunset there is great. Another thing I did was walking around the botanical garden. It’s okay but not much different to others. The second day I met the two girls from Newcastle again and hired a car with them in my hostel. Actually, it’s a bit problematic to hire one as a 20 years old but luckily both the girls are 25 already so that wasn’t an issue then anymore. We had a daytrip to the Dorrigo National Park-which is a part of a world heritage area. The walk there was amazing there was even a waterfall with access from behind on our way. After our walk, we drove on to Urunga did a little boardwalk at the sea and then we enjoyed the sunset at Emerald Beach- a spot with heaps of kangaroos at the ocean. A perfect finish of the day even after one the girls got a $250 speeding ticket for being 15 km/h too fast. Compared to Germany it’s just ways too expensive. We decided to just forget about it. I left the next day but in the evening. So I still had time to lend a surfboard for free at my hostel. It turned out to be freaking hard without help and not a single surf class before.

My next stop was Yamba- a lovely small town. Unfortunately, I just stayed one day. I mean it was enough to have a look around and my first surf lesson in Australia. Actually, the first lesson helps quite a lot already. I would say that I got like every third wave in the end. Not always like surfing it to the end but at least standing on the board for a bit. It is good fun to surf. I think that I might do it again but it’s not one of my favourite sports.

After Yamba I made my way to Byron Bay. Probably one of the most famous surfing spots on the whole east coast. I stayed there again for two nights but I decided to not surf there. It’s so bloody full that I was afraid to hit someone with my board :D I had a look around before I checked in at the beach and been up to the lighthouse. So pretty much everything I did was chilling that day because there isn’t that much more to do that is for free. Byron Bay is a lot about partying what I didn’t really want. The other day I went to a tea tree lake where I was supposed to be able to swim but when I arrived after a 4 km walk I had to see that I couldn’t swim there. So I went back to the hostel relaxed a bit and have been up at the lighthouse again for the sunset. I couldn’t really enjoy my stay there.

So I arrived in Surfers Paradise the day after. It’s famous for the skyscrapers along the beach and the other thing what it’s famous for is the party scene. I probably stayed in the hostel that was the best for partying but didn’t really work out with my plans. It ended up with sleeping in a 20 bed dorm and people screaming and making party in my room until 3 o’clock and me having 3 hours of sleep that night. So how you can imagine I didn’t like my stay there at all but it was an experience anyway.

Now I’m in Brisbane here is finally a bit more around. I’ve been up to the Brisbane lookout which is on a Mountain close to the city. You have a nice view and if you like and you’re not too late up there you can extend the trip and visit the botanical gardens. I realised at the lookout that the botanical gardens close at for and that was in half an hour. Also I’ve been up at the clock tower of the city hall which is for free. I had a look around the museum inside the city hall and took the free ferry which takes you a bit around the river. I did a free guided tour which was all about history of Brisbane. Interesting but a bit boring after a while. You see a lot of the old buildings. And if you like you can walk through the botanical gardens afterwards because the tour ends directly at it. And in case you want to go for a swim you don’t even have to go to the sea. There is a “beach” at the river. More like free pools in the style of a beach. This and the area around is called Southbank. Really nice to have a walk along the river and to see the skyline of Brisbane. But after all this I’m actually a bit bored of traveling. The hop on hop off bus doesn’t really give me the opportunity to go to the places I would like to. The national parks are just too far from the places where I can stop. Often you can book tours but they’re expensive as. My upcoming planes are probably to go opal gem digging in Yowah- a town 800 km west from Brisbane.

[jessflewitt]

ROAD TRIP ( 3rd Jan-29th Jan)

Since we brought the van it's a struggle to keep the phones charged never mind find wifi! I've been keeping little notes on my phone if what we've been up too so that we don't forget in a few years time... BLOG 3rd January- Abbie gone :( we brought a van! Battered and bruised with a cracked window screen but we had a little test drive and all seemed fine so we took the risk - spent the next couple of days after that doing admin! We had to get the van kitted out and open a bank account to be able to get the car registered Bla Bla .... few hiccups along the way including a little scare at the registration office where we were led to believe we had actually brought a stolen car.... But turned out the paper work was just wrong and it was all fine. We had our last night at the hostel on the 4th - and in the 5th morning went to move into our new home - only to find the battery was dead - great start. Some lovely guy jumped us and we spent the rest of the day cleaning the van and buying a few more bits - drove back to the blue mountains. Parked up in a free campsite and crashed! Slept like babies too - Blow up mattress worked a treat :) 6th Jan = Worst day ever Battery was dead again in the morning- got jumped again. Went to a garage to get it checked out and they couldn't work it out and sent us to another garage. He couldn't work it out ether ... Said there was nothing wrong with the battery. Next thing the engine overheated - there was no water in the radiator ( life lesson ) managed to get it filled up which was really messy with the engine so hot! ... Drove a few miles down the road back to the electrical mechanic who fixed the cigarette lighter and a few miles down the road after that the engine is over heating again. It's nearly half 5pm on a Friday at this point ... So we rang the garage again ... And he was about to tell us he couldn't see us till next Wednesday until he must have recognised our accents ..and asked if we were the English couple from this morning with the van. Told us he thought the battery dying in the morning and the engine over heating were linked and to bring the car down straight away. Another scare ..... Told us he thought it was the engine that had gone! But turned out it was just the hose that had disintegrated and he fixed it all for free. Said he wasn't going to charge two young people on their holidays... Amazed by the people out here once again <3 that night we brought a bottle of wine and met some fab Irish people travelling the opposite way down the coast . Had a right giggle with them and got some great tips so great end to a horrific day! 7th- Jan Got the van started without Jump leads woop! Did an amazing walk through wentworth falls. Really tough walk which we loved and I got to swim in my first waterfall pool :) we climbed up the rocks and stood right beneath it - started a trend and everyone started copying so funny. Parked up by a lake that night in a massive field - hot showers and everything for free:) I got behind the wheel for the first time in 3 years and had my first driving lesson round the sites- went well ! 8th - Jan- drove an hour down a steep clifftop to a place called nunes where we had planned to see some glow worms in a cave. Turned out you had to park up and do an hour and a half traverse to get there and it was just far to too hot so we had a swim in he river down there and I drove back. Oli took over when we hit the main road and we went to dunns swap national park camp site. Beautiful campsite it reminded me off the one in America at the end of parent trap. We had about 2 litres of water left which is nothing and asked someone where the water tap was and they laughed and pointed at the river! Rationed the water enough so we could stay the night and do a walk in the morning ( amazing ) and we had a swim in the river to cool down before we drive back. I had another practice but couldn't get quick enough to do the main roads so we swapped again! So nervy on the road after the crash. This was just a really HOT day in the van - lots of miles and 38degrees so just too hot to even function. We ended up in a town called Bulga poured water over ourselves to try and cool down , and had our first sweaty horrible night in the van we just couldn't cool it down. Everytime we trying to open it up for breeze we got swarmed my mozzies! 11th HOT day again - but we learnt from our mistakes the day before - got up early and drive to Newcastle and hid out in an air conned shopping centre all day getting some shopping bits done. Went to the tuck wells for dinner - the couple that we met in Bali and had a lovely evening with them. Met their kids and their bfs/ gfs- they had food ready and we ended up getting quite tipsy! Tania kept feeding me champagne and rum! 12th- has a great night sleep in the lovely cool house because they refused to let us sleep in the van . They gave us towels and a key and even had two bikes left out for us on the drive. Amazing people treated us like family. We took the bikes and got the ferry over to Newcastle. Cycles the 10k coastline ( which was really hilly) jumped in the Bogey Hole which is an ocean pool on the side of a cliff - awesome and freezing! We thought Newcastle reminded us of a British coast - maybe even Newcastle at home. We had some chips on the beach and realised that we'd both been fried! So went back for a swim. We made home made burgers on the bbq and ended up having more drinks with tania and Paul that night. Next day we got up and went to a nature reserve - wasn't what we expected ( more like a zoo) so we didn't stay very long but got to see our first koala. Went back to the house for lunch and another swim and then packed up and got on the road again. We couldn't believe how generous they were they gave us a cooler , packed it with ice, beers, washing powder, sun shields , coolant- they just couldn't do enough for us so sweet. We only managed an hour up the road because it was so hot again - still 38 degrees at 6pm at night! Our air con doesn't work at that temperature feels like a hair dryer is blowing in your face! Found a really cute campsite and went for a swim in the bay to cool down before dinner. 14th HOT SWEATY night again- impossible to sleep. Ol got up for sunrise ( I just opened the van up and watched from bed too early for me) another long day driving - I did my first proper stint which felt good. Had a quick swim in the sea half way (seal rocks) and it starred to pour just before we got to port Macquarie but we're glad to have a break from the heat - the van had finally cooled down woohoo. Amazing sunset after it rained all day at Lake Campsie. Camped on the side of a lake - brought some chocolate and watched a film. Next day we walked the 10k walk along the coast of Port Mac - gorgeous walk and not too hot. Got the bus back went to the shop and brought some chicken to bbq and some beers- camped in the same spot. Next day - we did the national park - sea acres board walk. Had a lovely guide (graham, leave a review?) telling us all about the rainforest was great. Drove half way to Coffs Harbour and camped out early - gorgeous campsite near a river. Rice and eggs for tea. Dorrigo National park - wonga walk the next day . Amazing - followed by wine tasting and pasta for tea. Same campsite. Next morning we got up and drive to Coffs Harbour - had a swim in the sea when we got here -went to the big bananas - lunch on the beach - mutton bird island walk at sunset - coffee and then drove half way to Byron bay. drove late because it was cooler - nightmare getting there in the dark though. Boiling hot , loads of mozzies - neither of us could sleep! Ended jog erring our the van and pouring water over ourselves in the middle of the night! 19th - got up and drove to balina- half way to Bryron bay - had a coffee - drove into the centre had a pootle around ( cool place ) brought a bikini- parked up in a car park about 25 mins out for free ( faffy day) 20th Hired boards went surfing- chilled on the beach- back to the free car park - I made pasta in a thunderstorm 21st- rain - miserable day - Oli got his hair cut 22nd- booked all our trips for the eat coast with travel bug - Frazer island -Whitt Sunday's - skydive and Everglade canoe and sea kayak with dolphins! Walked to the most easterly point of aus and did the national park walk alone the rainforest beach - tallow beach - found a little surf paradise spot at the far end of byron bay beach - beans and eggs and avo for tea 23rd gorgeous day - got up at 4.50 pm for sunrise - amazing - drive out of town to have brekfast and camd back in for our sea kayak with dolphins at 9 but missed it because our travel agent gave us the wrong time! They booked us into the afternoon one instead so we just chilled in the beach and went to a nice restaurant called dip for lunch. Sea kayak in the afternoon was cool - saw lots of turtles but no dolphins so they Said we could go again for free u till we did . Popped to the library to seal some charge and had a early night. 24th - surfing fail - too windy - then walked tallow beach - gorgeous - met some car park friends 25th - went sea kayaking again- didn't sea anything - went swimming at Brunswick in the afternoon - then we picked up a long board - had a lovely dinner by the river and the camped - illegally in the national park ready to get up at 3 am to hike to the top of the volcano for sunrise. 26th - woke up 3 am - hiked to the top of a volcano - awesome. - went swimming in a river - changed time zones and long boarded the surfers paradise board walk - shopping - found an awesome little camp site just outside the city - paid 25 dollars between us but so worth it. Hot shower / power / kitchen - lush 27th - rained all day but went to the library and sorted loads of jobs out - admin day - booked a couple of trips/ fixed the car - low on transmission fluid / sent a load of postcard / sorted out money - student loan ect - went to springbrook national park in the evening to see the glow worms - cool . Amazing drive- went past a vast river with loads of dead trees in it - so cool - hairy drive back nearly ran out of petrol / car skidded in the rain and there were tons of dead frogs all over the road. 28th Washing day ! Sorted pictures - drove to Brisbane. 29th Day drip into Brisbane city centre. Nice enough city but we weren't blown away. Thank god it was Sunday because parking would have been $80 a day otherwise. Luckily it was only $17 for us. We did the south bank walk which was cool - very sexy skyline. They have a man made pool and beach looking at the skyline too - cool to see but moved on swiftly. Found a really gorgeous campground and met a lovely German lad that night.